Released on 14 March 2011, this date written as 3,14 comprises the first three digits of the number Pi. The second track, “Mathematics”, refers to “Euler’s identity” known as the mathematical poem and the trio consisted of Peter Hammill, Hugh Banton and Guy Evansin moved on to a new label, Esoteric Records. I have to admit, I missed the previous two albums – “Present” (2005) and “Trisector” (2008) – meantime, David Jackson quit the band after releasing “Present”, but Hammill, Banton and Evansin seems to feel quite alright together and the new set of 13 tracks sounds strong as the good old stuffs, but strangely also refreshing.
When I was absolutely convinced that the actual British scene is consisted exclusively by a bunch of kids with stupid haircuts, sponsored clothing and complete lack of inspiration, this old guys showed me otherwise. Perhaps “A Grounding in Numbers” is not another “H to He, Who Am the Only One” and actually I miss Jackson’s saxophone and flute, but the new material is a nice trip back to the 70s, but still looking forward. Read more Van Der Graaf Generator – A Grounding in Numbers (2011)
rock
Byron – Perfect (2011)
Candid. Într-un singur cuvânt cam asta aş spune despre colecţia de prelucrări (cover-uri) (semi) acustice al celor din Byron. Este revigorant, viu cum băieţii amestecă şarmante sonorităţi Jazz cu segvenţe Rock moderne fără să intre în capcanele Indie. 16 piese selectate cu grijă şi reambalate cu bun simţ şi bun gust, “chestie” absentă cu desăvârşire din peisajul modern, mai ales din cel autohton.
În 2007 m-am aruncat cu poftă pe albumul “Forbidden Drama” şi acel disc privit şi cu detaşarea din urmă acum, a fost semnalul că şi-n România se poate face muzică non-mainstream. Mi-a plăcut acel disc pentru nuanţele sale A Perfect Circle şi speram ca trupa să o calce chiar mai spre Tool. N-a fost să fie, Dan Byron a gândid în altă direcţie evoluţia, “A Kind of Alchemy” din 2009 cumva a intrat fix în capcana mainstream, în ciuda infuziilor Blues, Soul şi Funk, discul a cotit-o în zona Indie, înfundătură inevitabilă în opinia mea, o fi “cool”, o fi la modă, o fi în trend, dar e o cutie în care n-ai loc de întors. Read more Byron – Perfect (2011)
Mick Jagger – She’s The Boss (1985)
Did Jagger felt himself lonely at the top back in 85? It’s hard to believe while Jagger gathered around him an extended gang of musicians like this: the prolific Bill Laswell on bass guitar and synthesizer; Jeff Beck, Pete Townshend, Eddie Martinez, Nile Rodgers and G. E. Smith on guitars; also on bass guitar he had Bernard Edwards, Colin Hodgkinson and Robbie Shakespeare; playing keyboards, synthesizers, organ and piano there was Herbie Hancock, Jan Hammer, Guy Fletcher, Wally Badarou, Ron Magness, Chuck Leavell and Robert Sabino; on drums were pumping Sly Dunbar, Steve Ferrone , Anton Fig, Michael Shrieve and Tony Thompson and Ray Cooper, Anton Fier and Daniel Ponce delivered percussion while Aïyb Dieng played the shaker. Lenny Pickett played on the saxophone and Bernard Fowler, Fonzi Thornton and Alfa Pickett sung backing vocals. Sir Michael Philip Jagger got half a life? It’s even harder to believe, Jagger took at least double share of everything he could get. And I really and literally mean everything. Read more Mick Jagger – She’s The Boss (1985)
Midnight Oil – Diesel And Dust (1987)
“The time has come/To say fair’s fair/To pay the rent/To pay our share/The time has come/A fact’s a fact/It belongs to them/Let’s give it back/How can we dance when our earth is turning/How do we sleep while our beds are burning”. Well, if you didn’t sung this song ever, if you don’t memorized this lyrics long time ago, really man, where do you lived? And even if we’re in 2011 everything is still goddamn actual. I can go further with “Put down that weapon or we’ll all be gone/You can’t hide nowhere with the torchlight on/And it happens to be an emergency/Some things aren’t meant to be/Some things don’t come for free” or “Your dreamworld is just about to end” and Peter Garrett seems to had back than a magic crystal ball.
It’s not fair, rather productive, to compare an apple to a kiwi, neither one band to another, but Midnight Oil was always what R.E.M. never could and never will be. If the uncertain label of “politically correct” is really applicable for any band, I would name Midnight Oil without any hesitation. And they were “Rockly correct” as well. Read more Midnight Oil – Diesel And Dust (1987)
Does It Offend You, Yeah? – Don’t Say We Didn’t Warn You (2011)
Three years I waited for the second DIOYY? album and now I can breathe realesed: it was worth it. The exuberant energy, the pumping life, their pulse that is entirely lacking in many other products lately, is still there and still alive . Maybe even edgy and crushing. The incendiary mixture of Dance Punk, Indie Rock, New Rave and Synthpop works flawlessly and this time, the boys delivered 10 excellent songs and a perfect album.
Established in Reading in 2006 by James Rushent – vocals, bass guitar, guitar, synthesizers and Dan Coop – synthesizers, the formula was completed with Rob Bloomfield – drums, bass, guitar, synthesizer, backing vocals, and in 2007 the band was joined by Morgan Quaintance – guitar. Their debut album was released in 2008, and “You Have No Idea What You’re Getting Yourself Into” climbed to number 48 of the British album charts. Read more Does It Offend You, Yeah? – Don’t Say We Didn’t Warn You (2011)
Boris with Merzbow – Klatter (2011)
Boris is probably the best known name in the area of the experimental music in Japan. The band formed in 1992 in Tokyo and since 1996 released 17 albums and collaborated with dozens of artists on various projects. Last time they worked with Ian Astbury (from The Cult) on “BXI” last year. Merzbow is the stage name of Japanese Masami Akita inspired by the artwork entitled “Merzbau” by the German artist Kurt Schwitters, and Akita since 1979 is involved in all sorts of musical experiments and avant-garde projects of Noise and Dark Ambient music, he released more than 350 recordings since.
It’s no way that a collaboration between Boris and Merzbow not to work out at least interesting. Read more Boris with Merzbow – Klatter (2011)
Bikini – XX. századi hiradó – 20th Century News (1984)
(Special pentru Goro, dar nu numai! 🙂 )
La începutul anilor ’80 eram un puşti care descoperea muzica prin intermediul colecţiei impresionante pentru aceea vreme de viniluri ale mamei mele. Printre Zeppelin şi Beatles, Motorhead şi The Clash, evident nu lipseau nici discurile formaţiilor ungureşti Omega, Locomotiv GT, P. Mobil, Piramis, etc. Aşa am avut primul meu contact cu Feró datorită unui concert Omega, LGT şi Beatrice.
Prin ’86-’87 uneori mă opream pe Republicii sub un anume geam şi ascultam muzica care se răsfrângea spre stradă. Muzică Rock, Maiden, Rush, Metal Church, Queensryche… Şi Braşovul fiind un „sat mic” inevitabil l-am cunoscut pe Goro şi ne-am împrietenit aproape instantaneu.
La el am ascultat atunci pentru prima oară albumul „XX. századi híradó” de pe casetă, casetă pe care Goro o are şi acum. 😀 Mi-am amintit de Beatrice/Bikini acum două-trei zile şi m-am apucat de săpat pe net… 🙂 Imprimat în 1984, „XX. századi híradó” este un album avangardist de excepţie, pe cât de genial, probabil pe atât de obscur, însă pe segmentul Post-Rock, Punk Rock sunt puţine albume atât de bine gândite şi făcute chiar şi până-n prezent.
Nagy Ferenc sau cum a devenit faimos (Nagy) Feró – „Frank the Great” 😀 – este o figură proeminentă a scenei Rock din Ungaria şi la sfârşitul anilor ’70 a pus bazele primei formaţii Punk Rock din Ungaria şi astfel a contribuit decisiv la dezvoltarea mişcării şi a Undergroundului din ţara vecină.
Beatrice – căci acesta a fost numele formaţiei – a fost o trupă de fete şi cântau pe atunci Read more Bikini – XX. századi hiradó – 20th Century News (1984)
Mr. Pan[k]sament – Faking the Tree (2010)
[bandcamp album=3837722988 bgcol=d96c20 linkcol=fdf2f3 size=grande3]
(Materialul poate fi descărcat gratuit, apăsaţi butonul BUY – respectiv Buy Now – şi la suma de plată introduceţi cifra zero.)
Nu-s nemulţumit de ce am făcut, ci de ce nu am făcut. Şi sunt multe lucruri pe care n-am apucat, n-am putut să le fac – şi… fuck! „Faking the Tree” este al treilea album pe anul acesta – şi promit ultimul. Probabil pe anul acesta. 12 piese, 69 de minute. 😀
21 decembrie. Dacă în ’89 am avut ceva-ceva revoluţie pe bune, a fost la Timişoara şi s-a terminat pe 21 decembrie. Ce a urmat cam ştim sau bănuim, lucrurile sunt mult mai clare azi când vedem exact cine şi cum stăpâneşte ţara. Dar lumea nu se rezumă strict la politică sau economie.
„Fake” înseamnă mimat. Şi aici Read more Mr. Pan[k]sament – Faking the Tree (2010)
Vin Sărbătorile!
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Vin Sărbătorile! Este exact ca-n bancul acela cu orgasmul: fă, când ţi-o trag eu, nu vine nimeni! Read more Vin Sărbătorile!
pistoletto!
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Răul poate fi derulat înapoi? Ar fi bine – ce ironie! 😀 -, dar nu prea cred.
(Car Bombs for) Carlos Read more pistoletto!
